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Archaeologists have found a Roman villa after metal detectorists happened upon two swords near a Gloucestershire village.

The settlement, near Willersey, dates from the Early-Middle Iron Age through to the first and second Centuries AD.

The excavation reveals possible evidence of the huge Roman villa with flanking wings. However, more fieldwork is needed to confirm this.

Once Historic England has the final report on the archaeological work, it will be able to consider whether to recommend to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the site be protected as a scheduled monument.

The dig follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly displaying traces of their scabbards, during a metal detecting rally in the north of the Cotswolds in March 2023.

Glenn Manning, Metal Detectorist, said: “Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing! The morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. This was only my second time metal detecting. I’m excited to find out more about them.”

The swords were X-rayed at Historic England’s science facility at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth. The X-rays show that the swords were constructed differently: one has evidence of decorative pattern welding running down the centre whereas the other sword is plain. The pattern welded sword would have been more expensive to produce and therefore higher status.

Emma Stuart, Director of the Corinium Museum, the new home of the swords, said: “It’s a privilege to acquire such rare artefacts. This valuable addition of Roman weaponry at the museum broadens the story of life in the Cotswolds during the mid to late Roman period. Wiltshire Conservation has identified the scabbard remnants and this adds another dimension to this discovery.”

It is believed these long swords or ‘spatha’ were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa. How they came to be there though, is currently unknown.

The archaeological team has discovered evidence of settlements spanning several centuries, including: Three, possibly four, Iron Age ring ditches measuring up to 18.5 metres in diameter, a substantial rectangular enclosure, the remains of Roman limestone buildings, ceramic roofing and box flue tiles, and painted wall plaster

In one trench an Iron Age burial, including an iron band around the body’s upper right arm, was excavated, whilst in close proximity a horse skull had been buried in a pit. The bones of an arm and a separate hand were found in the fill of the enclosure ditch in a different trench.


Peter (Buzz) Busby, On-site Project Officer for Cotswold Archaeology added: “I am very proud of how much our team of volunteers, professional archaeologists, and metal detectorists achieved in 15 days, despite the heavy January rain.
“We turned a ploughed field, the swords, and geophysical anomalies into the story of a settlement spanning hundreds of years – the first stage in telling the history of these fields and their cavalry swords.”